At DNC, Terrorism Scare, Anarchists, Abortion Wars, Congestion Put Denver on Edge

In Chicago in 1968, demonstrators chanted "The Whole World is Watching." And they were. This coming week the whole world will be watching Denver and local Denverites, who once might have enjoyed the idea of all this attention are beginning to have their doubts.

On August 12, just two weeks before the Democratic National Convention will converge on Denver, a Somali-Canadian Muslim was discovered in a swank Denver hotel room up to six days after dying. In his possession was a pound of a suspicious powder that Fire Department hazmat teams removed. On August 13, the Denver Post reported the substance is sodium cyanide with enough to kill up to 1000 people.

The Joint Terrorism Task and the FBI began an investigation, although the FBI issued a press release stating there is no reason to believe that there is a link to terrorism. Local Denver talk show hosts Peter Boyles at KHOW and "Gunny" Bob at KOA didn't buy the FBI's spin, however. Boyles investigated and talked to members of the Somali Canadian community that knew the victim and discovered the victim was unemployed with no visible means of support.

It was is also revealed that although the victim crossed the US/Canadian border, there is no record of an entry interview and the victim had no passport on him at the time of his death. Boyles also pointed out on his show that Somalia has one of the highest concentrations of Al Qaeda anywhere. "Gunny" Bob assured his listeners that despite the FBI's rhetoric, that law enforcement, both local and national, are taking the incident very seriously and an intensive investigation is underway.

Meanwhile the notorious "Black Bloc" anarchists have proclaimed their intent to disrupt the DNC on the Milwaukee Indymedia website. Their statement reads: "On August 24-28 the ruling elite and their defenders will converge in Denver, Colorado, in an attempt to recuperate the gains of global social movements and produce another myth of progress....outside those doors, however, so many will exclaim, smash and sing a harmonius 'no'" The Black Bloc statement goes on to explain: "We have little time for poetry; we have little patience for progress....On the evening of August 25, the night of the Democratic Party's fundraising events, we will manifest ourselves not as a focus group, but as a force...." Black Bloc advises those present to: "Wear black tops and blue denim bottoms. Bring flags and banners. Be materially prepared..."

Those who remember the WTO riots in Seattle in 1999 have to take this matter very seriously. There "Black Bloc" activists virtually shut down downtown Seattle for most of four days. Black Bloc anarchists dress in black shirts and often wear bandana masks, eye protection and even gas masks to be able to continue to resist efforts to disperse them even after tear gas is employed. Also, by dressing alike Black Bloc'ers make it difficult for police to identify individuals, especially useful if the group intends to commit illegal acts.

Meanwhile, numerous other groups also plan to, in the words of a new Crosby, Stills and Nash song "go up to Denver." A number of the groups, including a group that plans to march on the day of Senator Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field, to campaign for "a humane approach to immigration," plan peaceful, non-illegal protests that will do little more than disrupt traffic.

Other groups, such as the colorfully named Tent State University and the ominous sounding Recreate '68, are deliberately obscure their intentions. The leader of one group, Operation Rescue, has made clear that he intends to be arrested in Denver to protest what he calls Obama's extremist pro-abortion positions. Operation Rescue will not be the only group addressing the abortion issue in Denver. Pro-abortion demonstrators with the group, The World Can't Wait, intend to hold counter demonstrations at every Operation Rescue venue.

All this, a week of massive traffic disruption, including the closure of I-25, the main north-south freeway during Obama's acceptance speech on Thursday, the descent on Denver of an estimated 15,000 delegates, alternates and party officials, up to 20,000 media and perhaps another 20,000-1000,000 demonstrators have many Denver residents on edge. According to callers to local talk shows, including the Boyles and Gunny Bob shows, many Denver residents are planning on taking vacation time and leaving town for the week. Some downtown businesses will be allowing their employees to telecommute and callers to Peter Boyle's show relate warnings "from law enforcement sources" to stay as far from the DNC as possible.

Meanwhile, the Denver Post reports that the City of Denver has converted a large warehouse into a makeshift detention facility in hopes that it will be able to process large numerous of arrestees efficiently. Protest groups have referred to the facility as "Guantanamo on the Platte," and a Recreate '68 spokesman interviewed on the Boyles' show states that the existence of the facility indicates that it cannot trust the city to honor arrangements that Recreate '68 claims were made during negotiations with the group.